J.D. Heyes

May 6, 2016

(NaturalNews) Generally speaking, quality control and employee health are not issues that Chinese industry or the Chinese government are overly concerned about, especially in comparison to U.S. and European standards. But there are some foods and products you should definitely avoid completely if they are produced by the Asian giant.

That said, a lot of food consumed throughout North America and Europe is nevertheless imported from China, but that comes at an additional cost over and above the price on the products. The food awareness site, Why Dont You Try This, reported that some "food" companies in China were mass-producing fake rice made from plastic, which of course can cause serious digestive issues (where is our Federal Trade Commission, by the way?), and may even be fatal if consumed daily.

The site also reported on 10 other foods made in China, which have serious contamination and health problems, and should be avoided at all times:

Tilapia: An astounding 80 percent of tilapia, a whitefish that is sold in the U.S., comes from China. These fish are bottom feeders anyway, and eat nearly anything. With so much water pollution in China, eating anything raised in contaminated water would not be safe, of course. In addition, one study says that tilapia is less healthy than bacon, the site reported.

Cod: Another popular whitefish in the U.S., about 50 percent of cod consumed in America comes from China. Again, there is the water pollution and feeding issue; and what's more, there are not many restrictions in China for exporting these kinds of products.

Apple juice: Again, about half of all apple juice sold in America comes from China (because it's cheaper, supposedly). Chinese farmers are known to use harmful (to humans and the environment) herbicides on the food they grow, and this even includes herbicides that the government has banned (so they must be bad). Your best bet here is to make your own apple juice at home from locally grown organic crops.

Processed mushrooms: More than one-third of the processed mushrooms sitting on grocery shelves in the U.S. – 34 percent – come from China. Like the apples, it's hard to tell where and how the mushrooms are grown. To be safe, buy local, organic mushrooms, or buy a trusted American or Canadian brand.

Garlic: An alarming 31 percent of garlic in American grocery stores come from China, and these are grown using herbicides containing, mainly, methyl bromide. That's just not safe.

Chicken: In 2013, the website noted, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture approved the sale of Chinese chicken in the U.S. (as if there isn't enough chicken grown domestically). As with fish, the manner in which Chinese chickens are fed is highly questionable – and unsafe. China is also often plagued with viruses like the avian flu and other food-borne illnesses.

Plastic rice: This one is hard to imagine since rice is a staple in Asia. However, major amounts of fake rice have been seized by authorities in China, and reports say that the product is actually a mixture of potatoes combined with synthetic resin. The goal, of course, is to make money; scam artists have been imitating a popular form of Chinese rice known as "Wuchang," a rice that remains hard after boiling. But long-term consumption of this food can cause cancer, the website noted.

Black pepper (mud): One vendor in China was caught selling mud as "black pepper." This is a local problem, but you never know.

Industrial salt: Like pepper-mud, this, too, is a localized problem, but it seems as though industrial salt is making its way to Chinese tables. But in reality, any salt from China could contain an industrial mix, which can contribute to high blood pressure and an added risk of heart attack and stroke.